Learning is Loving
by Mrs. Ferb Fletcher-inator
Summary: "Please Ratchet?" "Fine, but the second you don't understand we are stopping!" "Thank you, Ratchet!" A one-shot if how I imagine Ratchet to teach Rafael his native language of Cybertron.


Ok, so I wrote this back in spring when Beast Hunters first aired. A few of my friends from tumblr and I decided that when Raf and Bee were trying to start up the computers at the abandoned Decepticon ship and Raf was reading all of the Cybertronian, we thought that it would be adorable if Ratchet taught him. And low and behold he did! So enjoy please.

* * *

Ratchet slowly turned his helm towards the children's couch and TV area. On the couch sat a young boy by the name of Rafael Esquivel. He was just sitting there intently watching the medic as he filed through various Cybertronian documents.

The lack of students filling in the school indicated that today was Saturday and indeed it was. Miko and Bulkhead were spending their time dune-bashing. Jack was occupied at work with Arcee accompanying him in the parking lot and Optimus and Bumblebee were out for a drive.

Around an hour ago, Rafael came to Base via groundbridge after calling Ratchet. The older mech told him that Bumblebee was not at Base and would not be for a few hours, so he suggested going home, but Raf insisted he wanted to stay.

So for the last hour or so, Raf did nothing but sit on the couch and watch Ratchet work. Ratchet sensing Raf's gaze focused on him spoke up, "Can I help you with something?" He turned fully around facing Rafael.

Raf didn't know what to say, so instead be kept quiet with a slight blush on his cheeks.

Ratchet turned back around gesturing to the groundbridge control panel, "I can 'bridge you home if you're bored. Just say the word!" He knew that if this were Miko or even Jack, he would have shoed them out an hour ago. But he had to admit, he didn't fully mind the young boy's company- in fact to some extent, he enjoyed it.

Raf shook his head in a protest of leaving, "No, I want to stay here with you," The innocence of the younglings voice caused his spark to warm. "and I'm having fun!"

"Watching me?" Ratchet questioned with a scoff.

Raf jumped off the cushion and made his way over to the computer monitors. "And what you're working on." His small finger pointed up to the screen that was filled with Cybertronian text.

Soon, Ratchet caught on to what Raf was doing this whole time. "You're trying to teach yourself Cybertronian?" He tried to cover the surprise in his voice.

Raf nodded his head with a smile as Ratchet crossed his arms looking down at the boy. "It's a very difficult dialect to learn, Rafael. It takes years for some Cybertronians to learn even with teachers."

Raf shrugged his shoulders. "I already know how to write the word Autobot."

Ratchet's optics narrowed, "How?" Disbelief filled his voice, but Rafael brushed that aside explaining while he grabbed a pencil and piece of paper from the extra backpack he kept underneath Ratchet's desk.

"I studied that word after I saw it side by side with the Autobot insignia again and again." He knelt to his knees and Ratchet watched watched closely as the pencil glided along the paper. The mech noticed the pencil stumble a bit here and there, but overall he was impressed.

Raf's body stayed in a tight ball as he carefully spelt out the word Autobot with only slight difficulty. He rose back up once he had finished and with a smile, he handed the paper proudly to Ratchet.

Ratchet carefully held the paper an read out the word. Although, there was a mistake or two concerning the formation in some of the letters; Rafael had pretty much nailed it.

He looked down in shock, "You wrote this? But how?" The fact that Rafael had never learned this foreign language, but already could write the word 'Autobot' that he has depicted out of millions of words truly amazed him.

Raf again shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

Ratchet shook the amazement off his faceplate and shrugged also, "It was just luck."

Raf's smile faltered a bit, but he didn't lose his excitement. "Maybe you could...teach me...?" He replied bashfully and shuffled one foot looking down to the ground for a moment. He only returned his gaze when he whispered the word, "Please?"

Ratchet stubbornly shook his helm. "Nope, sorry. I'm very busy."

Raf frowned. "But, it would be so much fun! Pretty please help me! I can even surprise Bee!"

Ratchet didn't change his mind and kept his stubborn stance with his optics focused on him, "My answer is and remains, no, Rafael."

The young boy let his lower lip stick out and tremble slightly with his eyes softening, giving Ratchet 'the look' as he quietly coed. "Please Ratchet."

Ratchet eyed him with a stern glare. "Don't you even think about it, Rafael."

Raf kept his look going slowly inching closer to Ratchet.

Ratchet sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of where his nose should be (a habit he picked up from the humans). "Fine, but the moment you don't understand we are stopping."

Raf's bright smile returned and he threw himself onto Ratchet's pede with glee, "Thank you Ratchet! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Ratchet looked down concealing his smile with disgust. "Don't get used to this. And if we don't get started soon, then we are not starting at all."

Raf smiled brightly up at the medic. "I'm ready!"

Ratchet couldn't help it when his smile seeped through onto his faceplate from the boy's enthusiasm. "Let's get started then."

* * *

"No, no, no, Rafael. The line is curved, not straight." Ratchet said shaking his head.

Rafael turned his pencil over and rubbed the eraser on his mistake and carefully swept the eraser bits away with his hand. He tried again, but he just couldn't get the curve right. He groaned and threw his pencil down in frustration. "This is hard! Can't you just tell that the 'w'?!"

They had been working on the alphabet for a little over an hour now and Raf was starting to grow very frustrated by his inability to create some letters.

"Because Rafael, that is a different letter." He picked the pencil up in one hand and used the other to pick up Raf's hand to put the pencil in it. He fixed his grip so Raf was holding it correctly.

Raf groaned and tried again, but he messed up once again. "I can't do it, Ratchet!"

Ratchet sighed and slowly lowered himself so he was laying on his stomach besides Rafael. He carefully took ahold of Raf's hand and helped guide his pencil across the paper until the 'w' was written surrounded by others that Raf had messed up on.

"See," Ratchet said letting go of Rafael's hand, "it's not hard."

Raf sat up a bit. "Yeah, but that's because you've been doing this for a long-" He quickly corrected himself. "for a while."

Ratchet chuckled brushing off the comment. "Try it yourself now."

Raf sighed, but obliged and went back to work. After a few failed attempts, Raf had finally got it right.

Ratchet nodded. "Go to the next one." He said as he observed Rafael's work from over his shoulder. Rafael nodded his head and whizzed through the 'x' because it was the letter that Ratchet had referred to; the 'w', but the line was straight and not curved. He got to the 'z' in 15 minutes and he was very proud of what he had accomplished.

Raf smiled proudly up at Ratchet holding up his attempt at the Cybertronian alphabet. Ratchet carefully patted Raf's back in acknowledgment.

The two were were so wrapped up in their work, they didn't realize Optimus had entered the Base. He was still by the entrance, but when the Autobot leader saw Ratchet lying on the ground he became worried.

"Ratchet!" The abrupt call jerked Ratchet and Rafael from their concentration. Ratchet's optics widened looking down at Raf.

Ratchet tried to quickly pick himself up, but being a mech of his age, this proved to be quite difficult. He fumbled falling back off his elbows. Optimus quickly kneeled down picking his friend. "Old Friend," he began.

Ratchet grumbled, "Thank you, Optimus, but I was only uh picking up a tool."

"What tool?"

"The one that fell."

Optimus crossed his arms. "Ratchet, what are you hiding from me?"

Ratchet looked to see where Raf was, but saw the spot next to him vacant. Instead, he saw the boy tucked under his desk giving him a thumb-up.

Ratchet smiled nodding before facing the Prime. "Nothing at all, Optimus," He said before turning to the computers. "nothing at all."

Optimus crossed his arm in suspicion turning to around to where Ratchet was just looking. He saw the unmistakable figure of Raf crouched under Ratchet's desk. He gave a questioning glance at the boy, but Raf didn't see that Optimus was looking right at him.

Optimus chuckled softly eyeing Ratchet, "Nothing at all, Optimus." He whispered in a mocking fashion. He shook his head before making his way down the hallway into his berthroom.

Once Ratchet was sure Optimus was gone, he bent over and scooped Raf up in his hand. Ratchet cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um thank you, Rafael." He rubbed the back of his neck.

Raf smiled rubbing Ratchet's arm. "You're welcome." He just stated at him for a moment before shuffling on his feet.

Ratchet turning his head. "Bumblebee is probably heading to your house to pick you up so I should-"

Rafael quickly interrupted him. "Wait, before I go, I uh made this for you. It's not much, but I thought you'd like it." He held out a hand-drawn picture.

The picture was a drawing by Raf of Ratchet with himself perched on the medic's shoulder, both smiling. Above it, 'Thank you, Ratchet' was written and he signed his name neatly across the bottom.

For the first time in eons, a fully genuine smile formed and he even felt coolant threatening to spill out of his optics. He choked a bit on his words, but managed. "It is perfect, Rafael." He patted the boy's head.

Raf smiled, "Maybe we can do this again, but next time how to speak it."

"I would love that."

* * *

Fin.


End file.
